My name is Fred and I am a gay conservative living in Ottawa. This blog supports limited government, the right of the State of Israel to live in peace and security, and tries to expose the threat to us all from cultural relativism, post-modernism, and radical Islam.
I am also the founder of the Free Thinking Film Society in Ottawa (www.freethinkingfilms.com)

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Another reason to support gay marriage...

A Michigan appeals court ruling that bans public universities and state and local governments from providing health insurance to partners of gay employees has alarmed gay rights advocates nationwide.

They fear the decision could encourage similar rulings in 17 other states whose bans on gay marriage could be interpreted to prohibit domestic partner benefits for same-sex couples.

Michigan last week became the first state to rule that public employers cannot offer health benefits if the benefits are based on treating same-sex relationships similar to marriage.

''It really is just a matter of time before we start seeing wholesale litigation in this area,'' said Carrie Evans, state legislative director for the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group in Washington.

In Alaska, the only other state to rule on the benefits given to same-sex partners of public employees, the courts ruled the other way, saying it was unconstitutional to deny them.

More than 20 other states have yet to decide how their gay marriage bans apply to same-sex partner benefits.

The couple have adopted four foster children, one with a developmental disability, and Tom Patrick works part-time so he can care for them.

"If he has to go back to work full-time, that hurts our family. Or we have to pay for health benefits out of pocket, which hurts our family," Dennis Patrick said. "To me that either demonstrates a lack of understanding of how this can affect our family or other families, or it's just mean and cruel."

"I've got no problem at all with gays, but what I can't stand is someone masquerading as a conservative".

What the message should have said was

"I've got no problem at all with gays, but what I can't stand is someone that is a conservative".

Honestly how does one man's experience of life overwrite the longevity of the species and life itself?Conservatism is based off of OLD idea's. Everyday reality changes yet we still use OLD systems and architecture and try to apply it to these new realities. Hmmm... the planet is dieing and people are being exploited because of individual greed. Yet conservatives still try to validate capitalism. (its not working and i don't think communism would either)But communists like conservatives are letting the ism's define their individuality. You're supposed to define these things, not be defined by them.And if you still try to validate these systems that do not recognize life or the environment ask you're self a simple epistemological question. To be or not to be?I happen to have a positive conception of life but my purchasing power alone/actions has probably caused harm to other individuals.Just because we are emotionally or paternally separated from other people who are being exploited by us doesn't make it less real. The only thing that would separate you from this reality is YOU'RE EGO and since YOU the individual are not directly emotionally connected doesn't mean that these factor/realities are not important or applicable.The problem lies here Mankind has just created systems that has taken over, and this cold mechanical system does not recognize and separates us from the human factor.This is why equality and gay rights is a noble struggle. Why should one individual be validated by society more or less in any fashion?Heck the whole notion of Good and evil or balance could be based around the earth rotation around the sun. Night and day I'm not saying that i don't believe in right or wrong but it must be reasoned based for it is the environment of the action that determines the particulars so that we could get an accurate judgment.However I also claim that conservatism is wrong for it is not reasoned based.But I guess thats when you tell me the reasons for why you are right?If you're beliefs are based on reason and not blind emotion then counter effectively.

In the UK, we have civil unions - they are identical to marriage in all ways, except for being exampt from a few arcaic common-law things.

This is different from the civil unions proposed in the US, which provide only very limited recognition - strictly state level, no relivence to federal taxes, limited inheritence, and completly meaningless when outside the state. So cant, say, book a holiday as a married couple.

Hey folks...I am hetro, married, with two children. I am a conservative....to the core...!

Has gay marriage ruined my way of life?...Not at all. I don't have any problems with gay rights activists, what I have a problem with are gay rights "special interest groups" that have hijacked the gay movement. Gays are entitled to the same rights and freedoms as everyone else. I don't condone gay bashing in any form, but I am also sick and tired of the gay pride parades. It is great that people are gay and proud, but the message has been delivered and advances are being made in gay right issues. Is there more work to be done? Certainly. There is always work to be done concerning human rights. As I have stated, the gay rights movement has been hijacked by special interest groups that choose to over politicize and over dramatize the issues. This causes the real gay rights issues to be lost in the rhetoric.

Xzeno....activist I presume. I believe the point was made if you actually read it. Contrary to all the doom and gloom hype by certain hard core right wing elements, my marriage has not fallen to pieces, my life has not been interrupted and the sky has not fallen. Gay marriage is no longer an issue. It is here it will always be here. Get on with life.

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My name is Fred and I am a gay conservative living in Ottawa. This blog supports limited government, the right of the State of Israel to live in peace and security, and tries to expose the threat to us all from cultural relativism, post-modernism, and radical Islam.
I am also the founder of the Free Thinking Film Society in Ottawa (www.freethinkingfilms.com)